This debut recording by the young Israeli violinist Ittai Shapira is somewhat
disappointing. There are many good recordings of the Bruch Concerto
but I do not think that this is one. The speeds are somewhat slow, the sound
is raw and sometimes exaggerated. At times the performance sounds like a
rehearsal. The performances lack warmth, cohesion and conviction. On the
positive side there is some good orchestral detail. The recorded sound is
sadly lacking at times.

The Bloch fares better and both soloist and orchestra cope better but the
performance is not outstanding.

Kanji Bunch was born in 1973 and wrote his Fantasy for Shapira. It
is very conservative in style and content although attractive enough. You
feel that you have heard it all before.

The Sarasate is a workmanlike performance but, again, there are so many good
performances available.

I am sorry to say that I cannot see a market for this disc. I genuinely hope
that this is just a bad start and that future projects for this violinist
will be successful.